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Coming to you “live” from Sunny and HOT Fargo, ND. I cannot believe that we will have been here for almost a month come August 1st! Its been a wonderful month full of new adventures and experiences! So, naturally, this review is coming a bit late after trying the product, but does not taint my experience one bit!

I had the pleasure of speaking with the products CEO, and Co- Founder, Edward Cannan. See, I love getting the opportunity to speak with those that have their hands so deep in the cookie jar, so to speak, because I know I can get real information, real responses, and see if I hear the passion in their voice. This was so true in the case of speaking with Edward. The day was a bit busy as he was heading out to Europe, but it was a quick 30 minutes filled with excitement and knowledge about LEAP. I love how he said that ” Leap is helping to make people go towards a healthy lifestyle”, and ” Its a gateway to wellness”. I would agree with those statements! However, you don’t have to use fancy products to make a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes it helps get you going! They are picky with their vendors, and even have a board with medical professionals to evaluate and advise the company. I was impressed with that and even encouraged them to reach out and include a dietitian .. wink wink They do have a nutrition consultant, Annie Jobb, who has been helping them. She has written books as well as owns a juice bar in LA. I still challenged Edward to make sure that he seeks out the guidance of Nutrition Experts , RDs, to make sure that the safety and wellbeing of their clientele!~ Also it would be a great way to follow up with those that have medical issues.

LEAP is an ” Organic raw instant smoothie that delivers all the fruits and vegetables you need in less than a minute”. I would agree with that statement. I was able to blend or shake my smoothies and get a delicious beverage full of nutrition fast! The flavors are delightful and full of color, color I know if not fake, but real raw food. They come in smoothie pouches, or smoothie bowl pouches at 6-12 oz.

Nutrition

Price / Offerings : They are NOT cheap, but if you think of what you spend on fast food, this can definitely find its way into your budget!

Sample pack $19.99 and includes…

6 packs in each of the flavors

Blender Bottle

Free Shipping

Typical 12 pack of Red Power 12 oz. smoothies are $ 63.96

Typical 12 pack of the Red power 6 oz smoothie bowl are $ 46.92

The price does go up or down depending on how many you would like. I recommend starting wit the sample pack, find what you love and then go for the pack that fits your needs! I feel that it fits the price based on the ingredients, the preparation, and the time put into this product.

Summary

LEAP smoothies, are a wonderful addition to anyone’s diet, especially those that need to food eliminate, heal their gut, and even get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. I personally have already recommended theses smoothies to my patients and clients, and extended it out to friends! I used these smoothies as a snack, as well as a post workout and find that the taste, texture were great. Stay tuned for my special discount code!

My recommendation is to first follow the preparation instructions and vary the liquid that you put in it. Secondly, I would then modify any recipe. I chose to add more liquid to my smoothies both shaken and blended and I felt that it helped with the consistency I desired. The smoothie bowls can be tailored just the same. I also tried shaking the smoothie with a dairy free source like almond milk or coconut milk, and I felt it made it thick. So my recommendation is to use water, however, if you want more of the shake, you could add both water and a nut milk. Overall, it is a great tool for your pantry, and one that I would even feed my son! The price is reasonable for this product, and I consider it an investment in my health. For any other questions you may have, you can email myself at nutritioninsideandout@gmail.com or reach out to their support team on their website! I hope you will give LEAP a try and jump for joy!

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Morning! Coming to you from my couch while the little one watches that silly monkey Curious George. Now, I’ve seen it a million times so this gives me a chance to write to you!

Caveman foods, another company I found on my social media browsing, is what I personally like to call another one of my approved protein bars/sources . What’s the first thing you think of when you hear protein bar? Dried fruit, protein powder, chocolate, sugar laiden and protein lacking? Well, over the years I’ve stumbled on and blogged about some of my favorite companies like Tanka, And Epic to name a few. Well today, I bring you Caveman.

I was not disappointed when I received this awesome swag box from this company. I realize I am lucky to do what I do, and to be able to ask these companies ( who don’t have to send anything) to send me product to try and tell you all about. I make it a personal goal to always try before I buy, and surely before I tell all of you about it.

So Caveman, these products are so different from the others I’ve tried, not only because of the flavors and texturs, but also the type of protein. These bars ( now they also make snack bars that are the chocolate fruity kind, but I’ll get to those) are made of chicken! I love varying my proteins and so should you. It helps keep that body guessing, and also helps offer a variety of nutrients in your diet.

I would consider these are high source of protein for a snack bars- bites containing 6 g- 18 g per serving! They are lower in calories, but these calories count! Serving if healthy fats, and even offer fruits and vegetables( not a high source)

These bars and jerky offer different tastes for each palate, and they smell delicious! The bars are soft, full of flavor, and when I open the package, I can smell the fruit! The jerky is simply made, but complex in taste! The texture is still like a bar, but you will not find yourself and your jaw tired from biting and chewing. I have been using these as a post workout( good protein and carbs), and as a snack on the go. With a 20 month old, I appreciate the convienience and nutrition on the go, and I know my patients and clients will to!

Where to buy

Check out this locator to find yours!

https://www.cavemanfoods.com/apps/store-locator
Overall, this is another awesome company to try that is offering cleaner products to eat. Yes it’s not homemade and still “processed”, but I feel that it’s done with caution and those that are focused on more food products( not food like) can snack safely. I loved them, my son loved them, and I know these will add another option to our party! Can you picture it now? As always, I encourage you to try things you never have and open your eyes to change. To see these products and to order yours go to https://www.cavemanfoods.com/

Ha, ok back to reality. Anyway, I love bread and that’s ok, but, in my field I do come across patients and clients, and even myself, with food allergies and sensitivities. I think it’s vital and needed to have healthy go to products on hand, if one cannot make their own, to substitute with.

I love making toasts, sandwiches, snacks with bread, but was just tired of the same old products I have used before. I came across Barely Bread and reached out for samples. They were gracious to send me out a couple to try! I was NOT disappointed! This is a bread made with almond flour and comes in many different forms and varieties!

This was my first meal with it and my taste buds were just dancing on my tounge. This baguette 🥖 is light, fluffy, full of flavor, and makes it a great partner for any meal of the day. This was my breakfast and I topped it with turkey, avocado, arugula, microgreena, almond milk cream cheese and a spritz of coconut oil. I toasted the bread and meat in oven… HOLY COW was it good. I was full and satisfied by the food not the bread ( make sense?)

Here are the facts

At least 3 G protein

1 g net carbs per slice

5 g fiber

Free of dairy, soy, yeast

No GMO

No preservatives

Provides Omega 3

Flavors and Varieties

The Savory Roll

Cinnamon Raisin Bagel & Loaf

Onion Garlic Sea Salt Bageland Baguette

The olive baguette

The sliced loaf

Cost

$10-15 bucks depending on what you get

Shipping available

PRO

Gluten Free, Diary Free

Can be refrigerated or frozen until ready to use

Lots of flavors and varietals

Filling and nutritious

CON

Can be a bit pricey for the consumer, but can be frozen and storedand comes with generous portion

I would have loved the cinnamon raisin bagel to taste more like the two. It was very subtle

Not sold in all stores👌🏼☺️

Overall, this is an amazing bread replacement and I didn’t miss the traditional form. I loved the texture, flavor and pairings it allowed me. I know I will keep this in my fridge and I hope you will to!

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Hope your reading this and enjoying this beatific sunny day!! I am catching up on some posts here and felt the next one to share is this Cauliflower pizza I shared not to long ago on my Instagram account(Meant2beRD) In general, laughing as I write this and maybe shaking my head, I would consider myself a 🍕 addict. I mean as a Dietitian it’s hard to admit that, but for the most part, if I wasn’t avoiding dairy at the moment, I could just about eat this delectable dish daily.

I have tried other brands of crusts that are ok, but it just didn’t have that same feeling. I was soon to give up on eating 🍕 for a while until…

I opened up my Facebook and there was the add for Califlour Pizza Crusts! I was like 😳. Now, I have seen recipes online, even tried cauliflower pizza before( an old client of mine fixed it and shared it wasn’t bad), and was just sort of impressed. Then life happened and I still didn’t make my own. So I said “Wait go back and check them out”. I wrote the company, told them what I do, and they were kind enough to send me samples to try, share, and brag about!

First let me tell you a little about them…

No messy crusts

Gluten Free

Offer vegan/ dairy free crusts

Locally sourced cauliflower ( love love love this)

6 veggie carbs

Great way to add more veggies and nutrients to diet then traditional crust

Comes in 3 flavors: Vegan , Italian , Sweet Red Pepper

They can ship it to you!

Freezable

Cost

Each box has 2 crusts and runs about $12.95 before tax and shipping.

Free shipping over $50

Easy Delivery, Easy Prep, Easy to Cook

The crust come in the fix boxes where he crusts are air tight and ready to eat, go in fridge or freeze for later

Package instructions say to preheat oven, pre bake, and then let set before adding toppings and baking. I did this and turned out great, in fact, I may leave the crust in a bit longer when I fix the vegan crust because I lime mine more crispy

The come out smelling amazing, and are ready to top with your favs! These are the Sweet Red Pepper Crusts, and Italian. The Sweet Red Pepper has a slight kick that compliments just about anything.

Here are some of the toppings I used:

Red Pepper

Red onion

Cucumber

Black olives

Turkey

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Fresh Mozzarella

Olive oil

Plain Greek Yogurt

Homemade meatballs and sauce

The finished product was a delightful and refreshing twist on traditional pizza. Again, I would have cooked Crusts before hand just a bit more, but they weee quite good!

The Italian with toppings tastes like a pizza shop, our Greek and Med pizzas weee light refreshing and full of nutrition. It allowed me to get creative and put anything I wanted together!

PRO

Affordable

Tasty

Can be shipped

Gluten free

Con

Only 1 dairy free variety ( would love to see other flavors)

Not sold in every store👌🏼☺️

Overall, this crust is amazing ! I did see that Trader Joe’s just came out with one and I need to see if our local branch has them as we don’t always get what the west coast gets. I recommend this to Anyone looking for a new healthy satisfying twist on pizza. I was so full and didn’t feel at all like I was sacrificing my meal plan. All I ever ask is to be open to change and try something new. You never know what your gonna get!!

Tata for now!

-S

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So I find myself here on this gloomy Wednesday, needing to catch up on my yummy blog posts. And by yummy I mean blogging on all of the yummy things I have been able to try over the weeks. I will say, that its been harder than usual to blog with my soon to be 20 months old, moving between homes, and just well, all the craziness of life happening. Would I change it? Nope. So here goes another one of my VERY personalized and opinionated posts about another wonderful food product I have stumbled upon. Remember what I do for a living ( Registered Dietitian) and it should all make sense. I will say that I was not paid by this company to write, but after I inquired about the bone broth, they did send me product to try~

Bone Broth Basics

Lets take a step back and look at what bone broth really is. Nutrition researches of the Weston a Price Foundation stated that, ” Bone broths contain minerals in forms that your body can easily absorb: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, Sulphur and others.” Bone broths and stocks are different as large companies are more likely to use flavors and bouillon cubes in their broths. And to my understanding, these bone broths have been a part of various cultures for years! You will find amino acids, collagen, gelatin and other trace minerals, as well as organic vegetables if they are added to the stock when cooking. Many claim that these bone broths help with various ailments and issues that can often plague our aging bodies.

Protects Joints

Its a source of natural collagen. We need this as we age to help protect our aging bodies. Cartilage decreases in our bodies, and bone broths can help restore it.

Source of gelatin. In our bodies it acts like a cushion between bones to help them move smoothly

Good for the Gut

Gelatin has been shown to help strengthen gut lining and help with food sensitivities. Two areas of which I am very passionate about. Also help with good bacteria growth, and support healthy inflammation levels.

Easily Digestible. This is beneficial for those that need to heal their gut, and give it a break!

Maintains Healthy Skin

Collagen helps form elastin within the skin and that’s what gives it is youthful tone

Helps to decrease wrinkles, puffiness, and fighting other areas of aging

Supports Immune System Function

Over 70% of our immune system is housed in the gut. This is HUGE~ its no wonder we get sick, don’t digest and absorb nutrients from our food well, and have issues losing weight!

Fight against leaky gut, very debated amongst crowds and not understood well, it is when “particles from foods seep through tiny openings in the weakened intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream, where the immune system detects them and become hyperactive” Inflammation then increases and can lead to many dysfunctions in the body. So why not have a food that will help restore that naturally?

Boosts Detoxification

Our body does a great way of naturally detoxifying, but sometimes needs help

“Bone broths usually contain potassium and glycine, which support both cellular and liver detoxification”

Aids in Metabolism and Promotes Anabolism

Antioxidant defense via glutathione

Amino acids that help build and repair tissues

Glycine found in collagen helps form muscle tissue

Glutamine: the body produces it, but becomes essential when our body is in a state of need

Alright, soooo just a bit of info on bone broth and some of its properties. Back to this amazing bone broth I have just tried. So Osso Good Bone Broth was so kind to send me just about all of their varieties. I have tried the chicken and the gut revive.

I just happened to find my favorite mug for the day, followed the directions to simmer in a saucepan on the stove, pour and sip. I held that mug close and sipped on this warm, calming liquid. I was so impressed by its flavor and its drinkability, I was ready to do this every morning to get my day started. These broths are filled with natural, organic vegetables and products. I was expecting a bit of saltiness, but was pleased to find that it was perfectly balanced. We as a society taste to much salt, and our poor taste buds forget what real food tastes like closest to its natural state. I was able to get 2 portions out of this ( it says about 2.5). I chose to have it with breakfast. It was filling at satisfying.

Ok, guess I should back up and tell you how I received my liquid gold. It came to my house in a box that was quite large, and was packed securely in a fridge like packaging. Broths came frozen and were extremely cold when I got them. I read the storage guidelines and immediately put them in the freezer until use. I did pull 1 out so that I could have that ready for the next day.

Facts about Osso Good Bone Broth

They Ship their broths $50 dollar minimum purchase to ship because of the way they ship and its amazing and worth it

Flavors

Pricing

The range is about 9.99-16.00 a pouch

They offer packs that range from 109.99-159.99

WORTH EVERY PENNY

To Sum it UP

Overall, bone broth is a wonderful and almost needed ritual, and should be included in our diets. You can choose to make it from home or purchase from credible sources like Osso Good Bone Broth. I choose to make it part of my gut healing routine. This can be used to sip, cook, and share! Don’t be scared, give it a try!

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Hey all! So amongst my welcomed chaos, I stumbled upon a new yogurt(new to me). I have tried many yogurts over the years, and even some just recently, but Trimona stands alone. Let me catch you up on my dairy (and many others) dilemma. I have worked on and off personally( and with clients) on food elimination and found that it helps to reboot, and refresh. I will say a refreshment from that constant feeling of bloat, gas , and GI upset. I will say that this has not always been the case for me and dairy. I was brought up drinking milk, pizza nights,eating yogurt, and the dairy laiden treats. Dairy was just a part of my life. It wasn’t until the last few years that I noticed a big gut change. I then go into my gut healing mode and extremely cut out some of my favorite foods, yes some healthy and some a splurge, and just feel discouraged. I completely understand my clients needs and I tend to focus on this objective with most. Anyway, even grass fed butter to the best yogurts on the market would give me upset, until Trimona. What was also eye opening, is the fake creamers and foods made with oils didn’t bother me, as I tested them, whereas the beautifully made and natural products did. I was determined to get my gut in shape. By using my probiotics, glutamine, and food elimination to start, I was well on my way!

Long story short, I’m back in the gut healing phase 19 months after baby, because lets face it, with this munchkin I was thankful to shove any food down healthy or not , and get a shower. So this leads me, finally, to this amazing yogurt I am about to share with you. It has already made a huge difference, and I can have my yogurt again without the upset.
Without further adu, I came across Trimona yogurt on my social media. What caught my eye was the beautiful bright packaging. So I decided to read more and reach out! Afterall, I love trying and bragging about new foods.

(Pic courtesy of Trimona)

I had the pleasure of speaking with Trimona Founder, and as he likes to call himself, the CYO (Chief Yogurt Officer). Atanas Valev, was simply a pleasure to speak with. He was extremely proud and eager to share his products with me, but also a sliver of his story. He told me of his journey to the US with his Bulgarian yogurt in tow. His passion for this food, and that’s exactly what he is trying to keep it as and not a food like product, just flows from each word that he utters. I will tell you that I was not only impressed by the yogurt itself, but also that fact that we talked about the nutrition aspect(probiotics), production, research, and how not all dairy is created equal. To my tasting, I would agree with that last statement. To my observation, Trimona stands apart from its yogurt counterparts. I will say in all fairness to the other other yogurt companies I’ve tried on my own dime, and those that have graciously sent me product to try, I have not spoken with a representative, or founder. Would I be interested? Sure! Trimona is so different from anything else, I would gladly entertain the idea so that I myself can distinguish them all in this ever growing market! To get yours and to read more on Trimona check out theirwebsite:

And so my eyes were opened, or better yet my tasted buds were awakened, to this light, refreshing, tart, and pure tasting creamy nourishment. When I say creamy, I am not talking thick and hard to swallow creamy, I’m referring to the perfect balance of whey and casien creamy, as nature intended. Traditional yogurt,as I have learned,has this perfect separation where all nutrition is included. Trimona yogurt comes from Grass-fed cows, and the milk is Organic. Like the majority of it’s counterparts, the whey( liquid portion), is not always included. Have you ever opened up your yogurt container or even cottage cheese, seen the liquid, been disgusted and either dumped or thrown it away? DONT! It’s packed full of nutrients. Trimona doesn’t discriminate on any of its products from the traditional plain which they are known for, to their mind blowing flavors. All are consistent and true to its heritage. Bulgarians don’t strain those yogurts.

Why else do we eat yogurt? For the probiotics that are so helpful and needed in our guts, as well as the digestible proteins for satiety and weight loss! Here is a breakdown of the probiotic profile found in Trimona yogurt. Pic courtesy of Trimona.

I would say that’s pretty impressive! So in reading more about their product, the shelf life is 11 weeks because of the cultures. The billions of cultures do decrease over time, but your still getting ample amounts of good gut bacteria daily!

When I was talking with Atanas, he stressed that the plain is what they are striving to grow and focus on, but the market was demanding flavors. I won’t argue with that! These all are amazing, refreshingly innovative, and are sure to please the tounge. My personal favorite is Raspberry Coconut. When I first tried it, I was licking the container. Below you will find all of their flavors, I will have to warn you, the market is growing so search at your own risk, and a fun risk at that! I would start out the with plain original and then branch out! The plain makes a great base from yogurt bowls to cooking.

( pic courtesy of Trimona)

To wrap up my review on Trimona yogurt, I feel it’s a necessity in the house for not only day to day snacking, but also cooking and gut health. At this time, we need real food and not food like products, staying close to what nature intended. I look forward to seeing where Trimona goes, and staying in touch with their CYO! Please run to your local store( check link below to find your location) and fill that fridge! That’s it for now!

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So much has happened since my last post! We have moved ( part 1/3) in with our in laws and and settling in to our new routine until we move out to Fargo, ND July 1st.

So Mother’s Day, this was my second one and it was to say the least wonderful, but felt hectic. We were up at 5:45 am, and back down to nap by 10am. Eric was working, and I just decided to take a nice relaxing bath before our lunch and dinner happened.I found myself getting super emotional and nostalgic. Being a mom has been one of the hardest jobs, but most rewarding jobs I have ever had, aside from becoming a Dietitian, which is a whole other story and will share sooner than later.

I love my family and am so thankful that I Have been given the opportunity to be a wife and a mom. “He must become greater. I must become less.” I think one of the toughest concepts to grasp since our nature is to be the center of attention and focus no matter what. As a mom, and wife, I have learned to put myself last, and focus on those that need to come first in my life , as well as trusting those that control more than anything we could ever control on this earth as well.

I know this Mother’s Day was a bit more special knowing it may be the last one for a while to see our moms in person, but it will just make me realize how lucky we are, I am, to still have our moms. There are so many women that have not gotten or may not get to experience this day, and I know my heart breaks for them. They need to know, you need to know, you are loved and precious, and not forgotten.

I love all that I do no matter how tired amd flat out exhausted I am. I have been given this little life to cherish and guide through this life. Some days feel overwhelming, and others simply blissful. It all makes it worth it feeling those tiny arms around your neck and getting those sweet innocent kisses. Can you tell I love being a momma?Mothers Day is great and all, but seriously, there is so much more every single day! So, Here is to another fabulous day of being a wife and momma, and I look forward and welcome all those crazy wonderful days ahead!

Boy, this review seems like it was a long time coming! I think I was just having to much fun with my new fancy shmancy water bottle! Actually, let me correct myself, this is not just a water bottle, instead, this is a beautiful reservoir that holds the divine clear liquid that our bodies crave on a minute by minute basis! I have truly enjoyed making this bottle part of my life now. I literally bring it everywhere I go! I feel that I am under the microscope as a Registered Dietitian. WOW, just writing that serves as a reminder to practice what I preach and how thankful I am to be doing what I am doing every day! O, but I practice alright, especially when it comes to drinking water. When I became a dietitian, I told myself that I wanted to be different, to stand out, I feel that I have made that promise to myself. I am here for you guys, my patients, clients, friends, family, really anyone that will listen to me constantly banter about food, health, and what I love. As I wrote that, I was picturing certain individuals either laughing or rolling their eyes, or picturing those that literally have a deep conversation about toast!

Anyway, to bring it back to focus, I was able to try an amazing product, not even a product, a much needed tool to help those that struggle with hydration, and I am talking about PROPER hydration. This does not include ( in my book) coffee, tea, Gatorade, artificially sweetened beverages, and the like. I am talking about water. I have been able to drink this glorious beverage from a source deep in a cave, A CAVE. That was amazing and eye opening!How many times have I educated my clients to aim for 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water, or drink 1 for 1 to calories you are eating daily ( which is a whole other topic), or just ask them to make a goal and aim for it. Well, my sweet friends, I have found the one your body craves… the Hidrate Spark 2.0. This beauty is elegant in design, fun to look at, fun to play with ( the amazing app), fun to interact with ( love those reminders), and of course fun to drink out of. This review is from my perspective. Yes, the company did send me the product to try only AFTER I inquired about it first. For those of you that know me, know I only gab about those products that I have personally tried, tasted, and tested. So here it goes!

What is the Hidrate Spark 2.0 ?

” Hidrate Spark 2.0 tracks water intake, connects via Bluetooth to hydration app, syncs with Fitbit, Apple Watch, and more, glows to remind you to stay hydrated.” ( hidratespark.com) That’s it in a nutshell. This bottle is smarter than the average man. No seriously, how hard is it sometimes, myself included, to remember to drink when the busy tasks of life keep us away from proper nourishment?

What is included in your Purchase of a Hidrate Spark 2.0?

I filmed myself opening up the product. I am working on getting the link on here. It really felt like Christmas! First of all, I love getting mail. Secondly, I love when a product comes with multiple features to explore, and the Hidrate Spark didn’t disappoint! All I needed to do was follow the instructions on how to set up and attach the sensor, download the app, update my goals and information, and I was ready to go! For the price of $54.95 you get…

Water Bottle

Sensor

Battery

Access to the App

Customer Support

Access to Website

This bottle is a delicate flower, so please hand wash the white sensor, dishwasher safe for the bottle and lid, and just don’t use extremely hot beverages in it. Trust me, its not that hard and takes no time at all to clean and take care of your bottle. I use my bottle all day everyday, so I prefer to handwash.

Features of the Hidrate Spark 2.0

The Hidrate App has now found its home on the homescreen, on my phone, next to all my other important first page apps! At this point, I felt it was a necessity to have it there because I knew I was going to be checking it just as often as I would my texts or emails! Plus, there is no charging, and the battery has a long life! It also syncs, tracks, and of course glows!

Next, I looooovvve the reminder notifications that it sends, I find myself literally laughing out loud when I read them. They are fresh, funny, and encouraging. We all have notifications and reminders for other apps and tasks, and I love that this one stands out! I have many a time asked clients to set alarms on their phones to help them with meal timing as well as hydration, and this one just makes it so much easier. Some of my favorite notifications have been… ” Water you doing?” , or ” Keep your flow with some H20″, or ” Looks like you could use a tall drink of water”. That’s just a few of them! I purposefully lingered on my drinking during this review so I could experience some of these features, and other times, these reminders were really for me!

The other cool feature is the screen where it keeps track of your intake, and even when you have successfully completed your goal. I am visual, and this really motivated me to get drinking when I was low. If you forget your bottle, there is also a spot for you to manually add in what you had for the day. A new updated feature on the app allows you to add water to previous days if you forgot! That’s awesome! I tell you people, nothing like accountability. Plus, this app is just pretty to look at and easy to use! O did I mention the app is free? Yes, it comes with the bottle, but it was not an additional charge. I have an IPhone 6 so I was able to download off the App Store.

Ok, my absolute favorite part is the GLOW. I love it! I can see it out of the corner of my eye when working on the computer, kitchen, or driving. It is bright, fills up the whole bottle with light, and you can choose your glow feature on the app! I found myself thinking, ” Wait, I just drank”. I have used other products that are hydration reminders, they were helpful, glowed as well, but it was not a water bottle. It was a separate attachment, and I have to admit I lost the first one I received. This allows me to have an all in one, and there is more of a chance I, or you, will stick with it! This picture to the right is one of my favorite pictures. I was taking a spa. I bring this bottle everywhere, no discrimination. The setting was peaceful, and my bottle was there to remind me, next to my candle, that even tho I am in water relaxing, I still need to hydrate. I also take my Hidrate Spark while working out! Its not glass, so generally can go anywhere glass isn’t allowed. Did I mention the color choices are amazing!

Why choose the Hidrate Spark 2.0

This bottle I feel is worth it. It has so much to offer. Here are my Pros and Cons on this product

PRO

Awesome accountability partner

Calming colors to fit each personality

Great customer service and website

A visually appealing glow reminder

Cell phone reminders and notifications to drink on top of the glow

Goal setting

Easy to carry and fit into most bags

It can go anywhere , even brought it through security in the airport (empty of course)

After talking to the company, you can now add water to other days if you forgot! This will be so helpful to this momma who multi tasks for sure!

This beauty is dishwasher safe. All parts EXCEPT the sensor stick inside the bottle. Please handwash that part. But, I still personally handwash and air dry it just because I use it so much!

Con

Can be a costly product at $54.95 to the budget minded. However, If you calculate how much you spend on other drinks, bottled water, other water bottles, it would pay for itself quickly

I would say that I wish the spout was bigger. I find myself having to modify my sipping when drinking out of it. I could suggest taking a look at that.

I did find that sometimes it didn’t catch all the water I did drink on the app, and I had to enter it manually a few times, but wasn’t a huge issue.

Summary

Overall, this bottle blew my mind. When I saw it online, I knew I had to have it, not just for myself, but for you all. This tall drink of water is smooth, elegant, sleek in design, kind in reminders, and funny for those hard days, and is always there when you need a pick me up( literally to pick up your water so it will help you feel less fatigued and get more energized). I was so impressed by the customer service/marketing team and I could feel they loved what they do and were proud of this product. I would say this has been one of my favorite products to try. It was easy to set up and get started, easy to take care of, and just a great way to stay on top of hydration no matter the time of day! I highly recommend this to anyone even if your on your A game for fluids. Pick up your favorite color and get glowing!

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On my adventures of trying new products and searching for those that I find worthy enough, for not only myself to consume but my family, patients, clients , friends and let’s just say whoever will listen to me, I stumbled across this delightful brand of Stevia products.

I am big supporter of consuming what is whole,fresh,clean, and natural. Some might argue that this product was made in a factory or plant and not just shipped from the ground to our plates so is it really the best for us?Well, although part of that may be true, I still feel that this sugar alternative(not non nutritive sweeteners in those yellow, blue, and pink packets) is still more natural than quite a few chemical sweeteners on the market that are in many of the foods and drinks we consume.

The goal of my practice as a dietitian is to aim to eat and have my patients and clients eat food and not food like products. How hard is that in a world where the “best tasting food” is at our fingertips? I say that grooming your tastebuds takes practice, guidance, and patience. But my friends, it can be done I have done so and seen so myself.

Ok, back to Sweetleaf. I wrote the company and was amazed by their customers service. Again, anyone that knows me, knows I am a stickler for good service. So, one of their reps gave me a back story on Stevia and their products and told me that their CEO was the first to bring Stevia to the US! How cool! I have tried many other Stevia brands so this was pretty nifty! Upon my asking to sample some of their products, of course for you my friends, they sent me Stevia packets, Water drops, and liquid Stevia in the flavor of toffee…. O My Goodness.

So here’s what I think…

For those that know me well, I love my water just they way it is. But that’s not always the case for everyone. Water is so vital to our body functioning. Sweetleaf water drops are a perfect way to enhance the taste to make sure we are getting the 2-3 l a day. Ingredients are simple and I think the taste is impeccable! I decided to bring my drops with me to work and see what others had to say.

A few nurse practioners, who also screen for nutrition and are in tune with the need for substitutions, sampled the product and had this to say…

” I was surprised that the taste does not linger … I actually wish that they would have added more of the Stevia to make it sweeter and less of the raspberry lemonade flavor” ” After all, we really think these drops taste better in cold water”

I thought that was great feedback as each of our tastebuds are so different. I think that the aftertaste is barely noticeable compared to other products and sweeteners, and it really doesn’t linger or taste bitter. As for the drops itself, I like I can control just how much flavor I want. In a 32 oz bottle of water I used about 3 squirts and it was perfect!

Now, in the morning, I use either the packets of Stevia or the toffee drops above. I was so impressed with the drops that I think this is a must for anyone looking to mimic a high sugar high calorie beverage from their favorite coffee shop. The taste is subtle but noticeable. It is sweet but not overpowering, and it is for sure smooth. I make my coffee with 5 drops and topped off with almond milk. The packets really do live up to their claim of the best product. It’s not bitter, the aftertaste disappears, and it mixes in great with any beverage to baking product.
Overall, I think I may have found my favorite Stevia product, but most are pretty tasty and a great alternative to sugar itself. I won’t discriminate 😀It is sweeter than sugar ( 1 packet = about 2 tsp) so be mindful of that. I do preach to balance your diet and listen if there is a true sugar addiction. These are meant to be used to compliment your foods and potentially helps those that struggle metabolically in their body with sugar metabolism(Diabetes) . I give this product 2 thumbs up and recommend you give it a try! You can find these products here: